Apparatus for protecting ships from torpedoes, mines, and the like



Feb. 19, 1946 a 2,395,05 APPARATUS FOR-PROTECTING SHIPS FROM TORPEDOES, MINES, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 255w; ak/sfa ANP THE LIKE Feb, 19 1946 C. H LUBY APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING SHIPS FROM TORPEDOES, MINES,

Filed- Jan.' 14, 1943 2 Sheets-She et 2 Patented Feb. 19, 1946 APPARATUS Fba TORPEDOES,

PROTECTING SHIPS FROM IHINES, AND THE LIKE Charles H. Luby, Philadelphia, Pa. Application January 14, 1943,. Serial No. 472,312

I This invention relates to method and apparatusfor protecting ships from torpedoes, mines, and the like. 7 V

' Generally'speaking, the apparatus in accordance with this invention, from a description of the 'use of which the method in accordance with this invention will appear, comprises a pair of nets arranged to 'be immersed at a distance 011' the sides of a ship and to be towed by the ship in certain relation to the sides when the ship is under way. By virtue of the relationship established between the nets and the sides of the ship when itis under way, the nets will operate variously to entangle and divert a torpedo or explode it at a distance from the ship.

The nets, by virtue of their relationship to the sides of a ship, will operate to prevent mines from coming into contact with the ships sides, or act to explode them by contact at a distance from the ships side.

The apparatus and method in accordance with this invention, broadly and in various detail, will, it is'believed, be readily understood from the following description of apparatus embodying the invention and of erenceto the drawings, 'in which:

' Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a ship in combination with apparatus in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the Subject of Figure 3 Figures 3 and4 are views showing details of construction.

' Referring to the several figures, A indicates a ship, while B, B indicate a pairof nets extending along the sidesof the ship from points 01f the bows for a distance toward the stern. If desired, the nets may extend the full length of the ship and desirably, inanyevent, in practice will extendupwa'rds of two-thirds of the length to protect the vital parts thereof.

The nets as shown in Figure 3, and which are identical for both sides of the ship, may comits mode of operation with ref prise, for example, a series ,ofwire cable cargo nets I formed, for example, from inch wire rope secured at their tops to a length of 1 inch galvanized cable 2, by means of shackles 3, and at their lower ends to a length of 1 /2 inches galvanized wire cable 2', by means of shackles 3. The nets I will be secured together at intervals along their adjacent edges by shackles 3'.

The galvanized wire cables 2, 2' may be the usual towing cables customarily carried by ships.

The net is floated in vertical by means of rafts 5, 5, each position, as shown,

4 Claims. (01. 114240) aft corner to one end of the upper cable 2, 2, and floats 6, 6, connected at one end to the cable lat intervals between its ends. The rafts 5, 5 may be constructed of balsa logs secured together and the floats 6, 6 may be comprised of balsa wood. The size of therafts and of the floats will, of course, be dependent upon the weight of the net to be floated.

Each of the rafts 5, 5 will be equipped with a center board 1, arranged obliquely so that when the net and rafts are towed by the ship, the rafts andnet will be carried away from the side of the ship.

For towing of the nets a boom 8 of wood or steel extends forward at the very prow of the ship. The forward rafts 5 of the nets on opposite sides of the ship are connected to the boom 8 at a forward corner thereof and at the same side of the raft to which the cables 2, 2 are connected by means of towing cables 9, through the medium of free-riding rings Ill, l0; and the lower forward corners of the nets are connected to the free-riding rings I0, I 0 by means of cables 9. The forward rafts 5 are alsoconnected to the ship by means of mooring lines II, II, while the rafts 5, 5 at the aft ends of the cables 2, 2 are connected to forward corners thereof, and the aft corners 'of said rafts at the same sides of the rafts are connected to the ship by mooring lines I2, I2 and the lower after corners of the nets are connected to the ship by means of mooring lines I 2, I2' the mooring lines I2, I2 and I2, I2 being of greater length than are the mooring lines I I, I I. The several mooring lines are desirably connected to'the ship through the medium of free-riding rings, as in the case of the towing lines '9, 9 and 9', 9,'so that in the event that the ship sinks'the rafts 5, 5 will float flea I I,

For convenience in assembling and handling the nets B, a plurality of brackets I3, as shown in Figure 4, are supported from the ship's rail at intervals on both sides of the ship. The brackets are provided with pins I4, I4 between which, for assembly of the nets, the cables 2 and 2' and the cables forming the upper and lower edges of the cargo nets may be laid.

With the arrangement shown in Figure 4, it will be apparent that the clamps or shackles 3 and 3' may be readily applied to secure the several cargo nets together and to the cables 2 -and 2'. It is also apparent that the net having been assembled can be supported, as shownin Figure 4, by the brackets I3 until its use is desired, and

connected at one that from such support-it can be readily lowered center boards will extend away from the ship's side as the rafts are hauled in.

variously, where necessary, chafing gear-will be provided to protect the sides of'the ship when the nets are under tow, as, for example, by the provision of a log boom or spar l placedto prevent damage to the ships bows'from rubbing or thrashing of the towing cables 9.

In the operation of the nets B, when it is desired to protect the'ship A from torpedo attack orfrom' mines, the nets B', Bwith their supportingrafts'and floats and with the towingcables an'd'mooring ilines attached, are lowered into the water. As the ship proceeds, the nets are towed along with it and due to the oblique arrangement of the center boards under the-raftsli; and in the case of the forward rafts, the 'wash from the bow ofthe ship, the rafts tend'to go away from the sides of the ship. Due to the length of the towing cables 9 and the arrangement of the mooring cables, the nets Bwill "assume anangu lar relationship to the sides of the ship from their forward totheir' after en'ds. Thus, the nets will lie off at a distance from the side of the ship with their forward ends closer to the sides than are their after ends, for example, asshown in Figure l; or ata greater angle, as, for example, an angle of 45, to the centerline of the ship than is shown.

As the nets are towed along, they will tend, as is'indicated in Figure 1, to undulate both in their fore and aft extension and in their vertical extension.

It will now be apparent that a torpedo'traveling toward a side of the ship'willof necessity strike'the net beforeit can strike the ships side. Since the net is moving along with the ship in a direction oblique'to the course of the ship, and with an undulating motion, the torpedo, if it be not fired'by contact with the net, but rather penetrate to a greater or less, extent, will be divertedfr'om its course and, if it pass through the net, will strike the side of the ship out of 'line therewith'sothat its striker will not contact with the ship and'it will not be fired;

In the case of mines, the nets will operate to fend off or explode mines, with which they may.

- come in contact.

ing, a net What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a ship, means for floating a net substantially vertically comprising a forward raft and an aft raft, a tow line connected to a corner at the forward end of the forward raft and to the ship, a connection between the net and an aft corner of said raft at the same side thereof as the connection to the tow line, a oonnection betweenthe aft end of the net and the aft float, and an obliquely extending center-board on the bottom of the forward raft, whereby the net will be towed by the ship and spaced therefrom.

2; In combination with a ship, means for floatsubstantially vertically comprising a forward raft and an aft raft, a tow line connected to a corner at the forward end of the forwardraft and to the ship, a connection between the net and an aft corner of said raft at the same side thereof asthe connection to the tow line, a connection'between the-aft end of the net and the aft float, and an'obliquely extending center board on the bottom ofithe forwardraft extending from the corner of the raft towhich the net" is connected, whereby the net will "be'towed by the ship and spaced'therefrom.

3. In combination with a ship, meansfor 'fioat ing a net substantially" vertically comprising a forward raft and an aft raft, a towline con nected to 'a'corner at the forward end of the forward raft; a connection between the net and an aftcorner of saidforward raft at the same side thereof as the connection to the tow line, an obliquely extending center-board on the bottom of the forward raft 'extending'from the corner of'the raft to which the net'is connected, a connection between the aft end of the net and a corner at the forward endof'the aftraft a connection between the aft end of the" aft'raft' at the same side to which'the net is connectedbetweenthe ship and the aft raft, and an obliquely extending center-board on the bottom of the aft raft.

4.- In combination with a ship, means for float-1 ing a net substantially vertically comprising a forward raft and an aft raft, a towlin'e connected to-a corner at' the forward end of the forward raft and to the ship, a connection between thenetand'an aft corner of saidraft'at the same side thereof as the connection to the tow line, a connection betweenthe aft end of the net and the aft float, an obliquely extending center-board on the'bottom of the forward 'raft extending fromthe corner of'the raft to which the net is' connected, and'a' plurality of floats connected at one endonly to the net between the rafts.

CI-IARLES'H; LUBYL 

